The Life and Tmes of Tom Riddle: Year One
by ButterflyGirl2000
Summary: “I will come back.” Tom silently promised himself. “Don’t you worry, Sean. I’ll be back. And I’ll be better than I have ever been before.”


Prologue 

SUMMARY:

**"I will come back." Tom silently promised himself. "Don't you worry, Sean. I'll be back. And I'll be better than I have ever been before." **

WORD COUNT: 905

"Thomas Riddle! Get down here now!" Annie Parker, the headmistress of the Children's Home of London, called for a boy with jet-black hair and piercing eyes. It was Tom's eleventh birthday. Yes, there'd be a birthday cake at diner, but besides that, it was a normal day.

"**You are late for breakfast. Let's go." Mrs. Parker took Tom's shoulder and ushered him into the dining room. "Let's go and eat. Wait. Whose day is it for mail?"**

"**Mine, ma'am. I'll go and get the mail." Tom scurried out of the dining room and into the entrance hall. There on the floor, were seven letters. **

"**One for Leah, one for Johnny, two for Ms. Kelly, one for Mrs. Parker, one for Sarah and one for…me." Tom thumbed through the letters, pausing at the one addressed to him.**

**Mr. T. Riddle**

**Room 17**

**54 Bards Rd**

**Children's Home of London**

**London**

**There was no mistaking that this letter was for him. He was the only Riddle in the whole orphanage. Tom turned the heavy, yellowish envelope over. On the back was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, a badger, an eagle and a snake surrounding a large letter H.**

"**Come on, then, Tom. What's keeping you?" Mrs. Parker entered the entrance hall and eyed Tom suspiciously. She took Tom's letter from him and tore it open. "Well, well, well. Looks like you'll be going away for a while, Tom." She smirked and led Tom into the dining room.**

"**What's wrong?" Ms. Kelly, the cook, noticed the odd look on Mrs. Parker's face and got worried.**

"**Nothing. Fetch my husband." Mrs. Parker sat down at the head of the table, still clutching Tom's letter. **

"**What's the matter?" Mr. Harold Parker, Mrs. Parker's husband, burst into the room. He took the letter and read it through.**

"**Fourth time. You reckon we should contact Faith?" Mrs. Parker asked her husband mysteriously. **

"**I want my letter!" Whined Tom. He tried to snatch it from Mr. Parker's hand but he missed and clutched air.**

"**You'll get it. Just wait." Mr. Parker said, through gritted teeth. "Yes, we'll contact Faith." Mr. Parker left the room and returned 15 minutes later.**

"**She'll pick him up within the hour." Mr. Parker handed his wife the letter and left the room.**

"**Tom, go pack up all your belongings. You won't be coming back any time soon. You might want to say your good byes as well." Mrs. Parker started to eat her breakfast as she waved a very confused Tom out of the room. **

**The fourth time of what? Who was Faith? Who sent the letter? These thoughts were reeling around Tom's mind as he went to his room. **

**Tom shared Room 17 with 4 other boys. The boys each had their own bed, desk and shelf. The shelves were located next to the door. Tom went in and started throwing his belongings into a green duffel bag. He took the linens off his bed and folded them neatly after he had finished packing his things. A sound from three beds down, startled Tom.**

"**Oh. Hello, Sean. Didn't see you there." Tom looked up and noticed one of his roommates sitting on their bed, staring at him.**

"**You going somewhere?" Sean asked, quietly. Tom had been his friend for as long he had been there, which was about three years.**

"**Yes. Apparently, I have to go away. I don't know where. A letter arrived for me and before I could read it, Mrs. Pathetic took it." Sean laughed as Tom used the nickname that they had thought up for their headmistress a couple of months ago. **

"**So you don't know if you are going to be back? If you aren't coming back, then I'm gonna die. Nobody else here likes me, Tom." Sean looked down at his lap because he didn't want his friend to see him cry.**

"**Hey, I'm sure I'll be back, Sean. Mrs. Pathetic said I was going away for a while. She didn't say forever." Tom sat on the bed, next to the distraught boy. He realized that he _was _the only friend that Sean had. No one else would help him with homework or cover for him when he was in trouble. "Don't worry. I'll come back if it's the last thing I do. I promise."**

"**Thomas Riddle! Come here!" Mrs. Parker's voice startled Tom. **

"**Sean, I have to go. I'll see you later. Bye." Tom got up and grabbed his duffel bag. He was almost out the door when Sean told him to wait.**

"**Promise you'll write to me. I'll be so lonely if you don't." Tom promised and left the room. He walked down the stairs and met Mrs. Parker at the bottom with a woman who looked ancient.**

"**This is Faith. Be good." Mrs. Parker hugged Tom and waved as he walked out the door.**

"**Here we are. Get in." Faith opened the door to her car and Tom hopped in. **

"**Excuse me. What's going on? And where are we going?" Tom buckled his safety belt as Faith started the car.**

"**You mean to tell me you don't know?" Tom shook his head. "Well, we're going to Diagon Alley." Faith drove out of the driveway of the orphanage. **

"**I will come back." Tom silently promised himself. "Don't you worry, Sean. I'll be back. And I'll be better than I have ever been before." **


End file.
